Official Introductions Thread. New Members, Post your introduction here... - General Tiki

C congawa Member Long Beach, CA Joined: Aug 11, 2008 Posts: 358	C congawa Posted posted on Tue, Aug 19, 2008 1:19 PM I've lurked here for a few years--I signed up 3-4 years ago with another username, but have completely forgotten what it was--but, having been buoyed by TO8 I figured I should post an intro. My original osmosis intro to Tiki came in the 60's/70's through my mom, who listened to Martin Denny & Arthur Lyman, and dragged us to eat at South Orange County eateries like the Outrigger and Royal Hawaiian in Laguna Beach and Don the Beachcomber in Corona del Mar (and I remember a few visits to the Islands at the Hanalei way back when as well). That and the Enchanted Tiki Room (and Thor Heyerdahl movies) and growing up in a harbor area as it was being built (Dana Point) gave me those first tastes I took for granted (I also remember when I was about 6 or 7 years old swimming in the backyard pool of Hobie Alter--inventor of foam/glass surfboards--which was a totally custom Polynesian motif swimming pool with palm trees, a bridge going over it, and I'm pretty sure some Tikis as well). My first inkling of a budding revival came in the very late 80's/early 90's via Josh (aka Shag) and Steve of the Swamp Zombies (and later Tiki Tones), with whose bands my bands (the Pivot Foots & Del Noah and the Mt. Ararat Finks) used to play with in the LB/OC area--what with their immense tiki mug collections, huge manufactured tiki props and Shag's incredible art that, in a just world, would someday get the notice it deserved (fortunately, in this case at least, it turned out to be a just world). From them, and my friend Monte Vista, I learned about Tiki News and Otto, though I was somewhat intimidated by the knowledge and enthusiasm of these formidable folks so I got only partly immersed over the years (though exotica did inspire a couple Del Noah songs, "Re-Satch-a-Go-Go" and "The Enchanted Dragstrip"). These days I work as a web developer, do some writing about old films, and play with the above bands (occasionally) as well as more frequently (these days) with the Fleagles and the Henpeckers, and as my wife and I redo our house we are trying to incorporate more tiki into it. On a more personal level, my wife Christine and I owe our getting together to the late, great Kelbo's on Pico in West LA, during its last years of existence. We had met a couple of times before, but it was one particular night in late December 1991 when I hitched a ride with her (from another event of some sort at a Long Beach coffeehouse) to see our mutual friends' psycho lounge band Lovingkindess play in the Coco-Bowl room at Kelbo's. Sparks flew, numbers were exchanged, and a 17 1/2 year-and-counting romance (and 15 year-and-counting marriage) began, partly thanks to the romantic setting of Kelbo's (and I think an assist from a Kelbo's skull & bones drink or two). Brent

I've lurked here for a few years--I signed up 3-4 years ago with another username, but have completely forgotten what it was--but, having been buoyed by TO8 I figured I should post an intro.

My original osmosis intro to Tiki came in the 60's/70's through my mom, who listened to Martin Denny & Arthur Lyman, and dragged us to eat at South Orange County eateries like the Outrigger and Royal Hawaiian in Laguna Beach and Don the Beachcomber in Corona del Mar (and I remember a few visits to the Islands at the Hanalei way back when as well). That and the Enchanted Tiki Room (and Thor Heyerdahl movies) and growing up in a harbor area as it was being built (Dana Point) gave me those first tastes I took for granted (I also remember when I was about 6 or 7 years old swimming in the backyard pool of Hobie Alter--inventor of foam/glass surfboards--which was a totally custom Polynesian motif swimming pool with palm trees, a bridge going over it, and I'm pretty sure some Tikis as well).

My first inkling of a budding revival came in the very late 80's/early 90's via Josh (aka Shag) and Steve of the Swamp Zombies (and later Tiki Tones), with whose bands my bands (the Pivot Foots & Del Noah and the Mt. Ararat Finks) used to play with in the LB/OC area--what with their immense tiki mug collections, huge manufactured tiki props and Shag's incredible art that, in a just world, would someday get the notice it deserved (fortunately, in this case at least, it turned out to be a just world). From them, and my friend Monte Vista, I learned about Tiki News and Otto, though I was somewhat intimidated by the knowledge and enthusiasm of these formidable folks so I got only partly immersed over the years (though exotica did inspire a couple Del Noah songs, "Re-Satch-a-Go-Go" and "The Enchanted Dragstrip"). These days I work as a web developer, do some writing about old films, and play with the above bands (occasionally) as well as more frequently (these days) with the Fleagles and the Henpeckers, and as my wife and I redo our house we are trying to incorporate more tiki into it.

On a more personal level, my wife Christine and I owe our getting together to the late, great Kelbo's on Pico in West LA, during its last years of existence. We had met a couple of times before, but it was one particular night in late December 1991 when I hitched a ride with her (from another event of some sort at a Long Beach coffeehouse) to see our mutual friends' psycho lounge band Lovingkindess play in the Coco-Bowl room at Kelbo's. Sparks flew, numbers were exchanged, and a 17 1/2 year-and-counting romance (and 15 year-and-counting marriage) began, partly thanks to the romantic setting of Kelbo's (and I think an assist from a Kelbo's skull & bones drink or two).

Brent

Post #402289 by congawa on Tue, Aug 19, 2008 1:19 PM